Dubai-based Paul Waring carded a course-record 61 at Yas Links to open up a five-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The Englishman recorded the lowest score of his DP World Tour career to get to 19 under and set the the record for lowest 36 hole score to par in Tour history, opening up a comfortable lead over fellow Dubai residents Tommy Fleetwood and Thorbjørn Olesen, with American Johannes Veerman and Niklas Norgaard also on 14 under par.
Here’s the prize money payout for each golfer at the 2024 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
View this post on Instagram
Waring had eight birdies over his first 17 holes, also holing his approach for eagle at the sixth, but saved the shot of the day for the 18th.
After a wayward drive became embedded he was given a free drop but could still only chop his second back onto the fairway. From 250 yards he hit a perfect fairway wood which fed down to four feet from the pin to leave a routine birdie putt.
Veerman added a 67 to his first round 63 to get to 14 under from the first group of the day with Norgaard joining him after firing seven birdies in his bogey-free 65. Fleetwood joined the leaders with his 68 before Waring surged ahead. Olesen then added his second eagle of the day at the last to join the chasing pack.
Frenchman Ugo Coussaud and English trio Laurie Canter, Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Wallace are two shots further back at 12 under par, with Swede Sebastian Soderberg, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, Francesco Laporta of Italy and South African Thriston Lawrence at 11 under.
Meanwhile, Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy pulled one back on the last after a triple bogey on 17 to get to 10 under.
Main Image: Getty Images
